What is Zacks Research’s Estimate for Wendy’s Q1 Earnings?

The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) – Equities researchers at Zacks Research cut their Q1 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Wendy’s in a research note issued to investors on Friday, February 27th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the restaurant operator will earn $0.13 per share for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $0.18. Zacks Research has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Wendy’s’ current full-year earnings is $0.99 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Wendy’s’ Q2 2026 earnings at $0.18 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $0.15 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $0.14 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.15 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.21 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.16 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.17 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $0.75 EPS.

Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 13th. The restaurant operator reported $0.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.02. Wendy’s had a net margin of 7.58% and a return on equity of 145.93%. The firm had revenue of $439.60 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $537.11 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.25 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. Wendy’s has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.560-0.600 EPS.

A number of other brokerages also recently weighed in on WEN. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Wendy’s from $9.00 to $7.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 23rd. TD Cowen cut their target price on Wendy’s from $9.00 to $6.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 13th. BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price on Wendy’s from $11.00 to $9.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Barclays dropped their price target on Wendy’s from $9.00 to $8.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $8.00 price objective on shares of Wendy’s in a research report on Monday, February 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $9.30.

Wendy’s Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WEN opened at $7.44 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.42 billion, a PE ratio of 8.75, a P/E/G ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a quick ratio of 1.74, a current ratio of 1.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 28.77. Wendy’s has a twelve month low of $6.73 and a twelve month high of $15.79. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $8.05 and a 200 day simple moving average of $8.74.

Wendy’s Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.14 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 2nd. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.5%. Wendy’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 65.88%.

Institutional Trading of Wendy’s

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in WEN. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Wendy’s by 30.1% during the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 13,843,438 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $158,092,000 after acquiring an additional 3,205,269 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in Wendy’s by 3.3% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 7,091,847 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $59,075,000 after purchasing an additional 227,023 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley boosted its holdings in Wendy’s by 5.8% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 6,549,066 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $54,554,000 after purchasing an additional 357,814 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its position in Wendy’s by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 5,446,335 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $45,368,000 after purchasing an additional 102,084 shares during the period. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its stake in Wendy’s by 61.3% during the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 5,041,012 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $57,568,000 after buying an additional 1,915,465 shares during the last quarter. 85.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wendy’s Company Profile

The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) operates as a global quick-service restaurant chain, best known for its square-shaped beef patties, fresh ingredient sourcing and signature Frosty dessert. The company’s menu features a variety of hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, salads, breakfast sandwiches, sides and beverages, designed to appeal to a broad customer base seeking both classic and contemporary fast-food options. Wendy’s has placed particular emphasis on product innovation, introducing limited-time offerings and revamped core menu items to maintain customer interest and respond to evolving dining trends.

Founded in 1969 by entrepreneur Dave Thomas in Columbus, Ohio, Wendy’s expanded rapidly through both company-owned and franchised outlets.